I’ve been tired, and I know I’m not alone in that. People are tired. Not inconvenienced. Not stressed but tired, bone tired as the seasoned saints used to say. Wars are waging in the Congo, Iran and Palestine while cable…
The older brother was exhausted
After Easter worship several years ago, I spoke briefly with a pastor standing alone near the back of the sanctuary while the congregation drifted toward fellowship hour. Children were running through the hallways. People were laughing, hugging and talking about…
Confessions of an exhausted preacher
As I write this, I am a preacher on sabbatical after two years of weekly preaching. I am a “young” preacher in that this is my first preaching job, although not young in age. I have done exhausting jobs before,…
Barna finds pastors are exhausted and isolated, which could be an opportunity for change
Pastors in the United States continue to feel increasingly exhausted, isolated and uncertain of their place in ministry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barna reports in a new study on clergy resilience. Barna said its research “shows that…
Holy exhaustion
It’s never good when you hear a phrase that starts with, “I’m tired of…” It communicates that there is something in one’s life that is draining their energy, including their emotional and spiritual energy. Even though the actual words “I’m…